Another one from Rin. Inspired by an incident while I was at a garage sale.
Smoke and Ashes
Tezuka Kunimitsu was on the way home from work. It wasn't far from where he lived with Shusuke, whom he'd married after they finished college, so he walked every day.
Today he thought he smelled something burning, but dismissed it as a figment of his imagination. He passed by the conbini, and saw smoke somewhere behind it. It was close to his house, but he was sure it was only someone grilling their dinner outdoors.
As he walked by the elementary school playground, he noticed the little white-grey bits of ash floating around him, carried by the wind. Barbecues didn't make ash like that. Not that much. Tezuka was starting to get a little worried, but anyone watching wouldn't have been able to tell. His expression never changed.
It was when he heard the sirens in the distance, coming closer, that he began to run.
He somehow managed to hold onto his briefcase, sprinting towards his house, tie coming loose from its pin and flapping against his neck.
The smoke above his house was thick and grey, like a rain cloud hanging far too low.
Tezuka rounded the corner, turning onto his street. He could see his house by now, the ominous smoke cloud wrapping itself around the roof, as if taking possession of his house and all within it.
He was moving as fast as he could when he stepped into the grass of his yard, tripping over a root he hadn't seen and falling to his hands and knees, briefcase thrown aside.
Tezuka looked up at his house, and saw-nothing. It was fine. But, the smoke? He looked to his left, where a neighbor was burning a pile of branches and leaves. The man stared at him for a moment before resuming his work.
Tezuka looked back at his house. Shusuke was in the garden, having been planting a new cactus, one eyebrow raised in a silent question. After a moment he smiled in realization.
"You thought the smoke was from the house." Tezuka stood and gathered his briefcase. Shusuke grinned at him, catlike.
"You were worried about me. Admit it, Mitsu." Tezuka had by now smoothed his face into its usual stoic lack of expression.
"I was attempting to combine my walk home with my evening jog. I thought it would save time." Both of them knew he was lying. That desperate scrambling to get home wasn't a casual jog.
"It's sweet that you worried and ran home." Shusuke stood and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."
Tezuka finally opened his mouth. "You're welcome." Shusuke pulled on his now-loosened tie, bringing Tezuka's face close to his own.
"Now that you've had your exercise for the day, perhaps you can help me get mine later tonight." He pulled the tie again and brought Tezuka's mouth to his, kissing him.
When they broke apart to breathe, Tezuka put the hand that wasn't holding his briefcase over Shusuke's on his tie.
"Thirty laps around the house should be enough exercise for you."
~Omake~
"Mitsu." Shusuke stood on his toes and whispered something into his husband's ear, and they went inside rather quickly.
That night, Tezuka was glad he'd changed his mind about the laps.